National Insurance

First U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge Partners with Five Lloyd’s Syndicates to Offer ‘Intelligent’ Cyber Insurance. Ridge Insurance Solutions Company to close dangerous cyber insurance gap by providing informed-assessment capabilities and insurance.
Companies struggling to protect their assets and brands from the growing scourge of cyber attacks can now access a new product designed specifically for their needs, created by a trusted former national security leader and the world’s premier insurance brand. The Honorable Tom Ridge, in London today meeting with leading cyber Lloyd’s Syndicates, today announced the launch of Ridge Insurance Solutions Company, offering best-in-class informed assessment and cyber insurance. The packaged, customized assessment capabilities and insurance enable C-suite executives to mitigate cyber risk, thereby closing a dangerous cyber insurance gap that often leaves companies – particularly small- and mid-cap firms – vulnerable to the consequences of proliferating attacks.
Boards of directors for financial services, retail, healthcare and energy companies, among others, now will have access to unique cyber insurance that leverages real intelligence that is sector and company specific, rejecting the ‘cookie-cutter,’ process-oriented approach inherent in most cyber insurance offerings today. Policies of up to $50 million (USD) each are available beginning immediately.

Trends and developments affecting the U.S. ocean marine insurance market will be discussed at the annual meeting of the American Institute of Marine Underwriters (AIMU) on Friday, Nov. 19 in New York City.
The meeting will be held in the Ricker Auditorium, 180 Maiden Lane, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Ed Badolato, chairman of the National Cargo Security Council (NCSC), will be the featured speaker. The NCSC is a broad-based organization of government agencies and private industry working together

Sumitomo Marine & Fire Insurance and Mitsui Marine & Fire Insurance agreed to merge by April 1, 2002, in a move that would create Japan's largest non-life insurer. With combined assets of $51.7 billion, the merged company will outstrip current industry leader Tokio Marine & Fire Insurance, whose assets stand at $48.5 billion.
Analysts say the merger will accelerate consolidation in the sector, where competition is intensifying, due mainly to the deregulation of insurance premiums in July 1998

A recent study conducted by First American Transportation Title Insurance Company, a subsidiary of First American Title Insurance Company, finds that more than 35 percent of recorded maritime vessel
ownership records contain potential title issues.
The October study evaluated
more than 100 randomly selected commercial and recreational vessels listed on
the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Vessel Documentation Center (NVDC) registry.

The 2007 conference of the International Union of Marine Insurance in Copenhagen is set for next month.
As finishing touches are being put to the four-day program of committee meetings, keynote speeches, presentations, panel discussions and workshops, covering all branches of marine insurance, IUMI has announced record attendance figures.
With over two weeks still to go to the start on September 9, the organizing committee from the Danish Insurance Association reports that more than 750

Ships without P&I insurance for maritime claims must inform the Danish Maritime Authority about their insurance
Danish ships with a gross tonnage of or above 300 without a Certificate of Entry in a P&I Club from the international group of P&I clubs must inform the Danish Maritime Authority about alternative insurance for maritime claims before March 31, 2014.
Danish ships with a gross tonnage of or above 300 must carry a certificate confirming that insurance has been taken

The Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) recently distributed the following to advise its members regarding terrorism insurance.
The shocking events that occurred on September 11 took all of us by surprise. Since then, we've all started to ask ourselves some basic questions that will help us to protect our companies, property, and employees from further harmful situations, if they should occur. One of these important protective elements is insurance.

Moore Stephens has further strengthened its regulatory advisory capability with the appointment of John Westlake as compliance manager.
John Westlake has a broad perspective of the insurance industry acquired through a variety of roles, which has enabled him to support insurers and brokers in establishing effective compliance solutions. He has a strong commercial background, having acted as operations director with a personal lines insurer

John Moy has joined the team at Water Quality Insurance Syndicate as Vice President of Underwriting. John will lead the WQIS underwriting department.
John came to WQIS from Crum & Forster where he served as the Vice President of United States Fire Insurance Company for the past five years. Previous to his tenure there, he was the Regional Underwriting Manager at XL America, working in marine and offshore energy insurance

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), otherwise known as Obamacare, the recent healthcare plan in the United States, is affecting the international superyacht industry, according to yacht insurance expert Eva Maria Karlsson of Superyacht Insurance Group (SYIG).
Maria, who is president/broker at SYIG, said, “The biggest challenge presently is Obamacare. Interestingly enough, it’s actually affecting the international marine industry

Mombasa, Kenya port workers end strike and returned to work on Friday after being warned they could lose their jobs, reports Reuters.
However the members of the Trade Union Congress (TUC-K) said protests over changes to their health care costs could resume next week and aims to push

Provider of insurance and related risk management services to the transport and logistics industry TT Club said it welcomes the initiative of the World Shipping Council (WSC) in its recent publication of guidelines to the industry in relation to implementing the SOLAS requirements that become

SBM Offshore announced it has today completed the project financing of FPSO Cidade de Saquarema for a total of $1.55 billion, marking the largest project financing in the company's history.
Project financing was secured by a consortium of 16 international banks with insurance cover

NOIA President Randall Luthi issued the following statement on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s passage of the OPENS Act, which will open new areas of the OCS to energy exploration and development, extend revenue sharing to participating coastal states

The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today that its 11th Annual Tribute to the United States Coast Guard in Our Nation’s Capital will take place on Wednesday, June 10

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has published its Annual Review of maritime policy developments in advance of its Annual General Meeting and to coincide with this week’s meeting of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee.

UMassDartmouth Site of Fifth National SeaPerch Challenge
This year the SeaPerch Program will celebrate a half decade of national underwater robotic championships. On the last Saturday in May, the fifth National SeaPerch Challenge will be held on the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMassD)

Fidelis Group Holdings, LLC Launches Master Port Risk Program For The Maritime Industry.
Fidelis Group Holdings, LLC (FGH) with its subsidiary company Continental Underwriters, Ltd. (CUL), a National Marine Insurance coverage and service leader

The UK Defence Club, the provider of FD&D (legal costs) insurance to the maritime industry, announced its financial results for the year ending February 20, 2015.
According to the club, highlights include 3,700 ships covered, total assets of £56

The Russian tall ship Kruzenshtern collided with the Icelandic Coastguard patrol ships Þór and Týr, which were docked at the quayside. Both Icelandic vessels sustained damage.
“These things can happen when a big ship is approaching the quay, or leaving it

More than 2,000 workers at East Africa's biggest port in Kenya's coastal city Mombasa went on strike on Wednesday protesting an increase in the amount they will have to pay for state-run health insurance.
Cargo ships remained unattended as workers gathered and held discussions in groups

Norwegian Energy Company ASA announces that it has reached an agreement with its joint venture partners in Denmark with respect to its forfeited licences and related abandonment liabilities.
Noreco has terminated its joint venture and its participation in the Nini and Cecile oilfields

The Kenya Ports Authority said on Thursday striking workers at the Mombasa port should resume work by Friday morning or lose their jobs, and that normal activities at East Africa's biggest port will resume July 6.
The workers are disputing higher deductions for the government's national health

WOC Sustainable Ocean Summit (Singapore, 9-11 November 2015) Will Enable Industry to Organize its Input to this Major New Ocean Treaty Development
The U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) last week adopted a formal resolution to develop a legally-binding treaty for the conservation of marine